


Reactions

by Higgystar



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Allusions to Child Abuse, Gen, Kink Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-09
Updated: 2014-04-09
Packaged: 2018-01-18 17:23:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1436569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higgystar/pseuds/Higgystar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt from the kink meme: Daryl breaks the group's safety rules and Shane does not take it well. He blows up at Daryl and has to deal with the other man's reactions as well as his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reactions

They have rules for a reason and that reason was for the safety of not only the individuals but the safety of the group as a whole. Shane knows he’s a good leader and he knows Rick is just the same, so when they’d stepped up to keep the group safe there had been rules brought in. Some were simple; always keep your weapon ready, don’t make too much noise, keep your wits about you and help out with any chores. Then there were a few they’d had to enforce upon the group and prove that they really were for the best.

They had weapons which were not a toy and had to be treated and cared for with respect. Everyone had to look out for everyone else, and help however they could. Don’t try to take on something you can’t handle. But the most important one, the one that Shane had enforced with Rick to be the most important was that you didn’t go anywhere without someone else knowing. Even if it was just for a piss for a second, you had to let someone know.

Otherwise they had something like this happen.

Chewing on a grass stem he paces back and forth on the edge of the camp, scanning the tree line for a hint of their missing member and getting more annoyed for every second that he continues to remain unseen. Keeping his shotgun at the ready he can hear Rick talking to Lori behind him, discussing Daryl’s absence and trying to convince them to send out a search party for the redneck. Shaking his head Shane finds himself getting frustrated that Daryl has caused such a fuss when they were meant to be getting some rest, preparing to look for Sophia again tomorrow.

Personally he thinks it’s a lost cause, but no one was listening to sense anymore, so he’d play along with their little game so long as they searched safely in groups. Now here he was, awake later than he’d planned to be with a missing Dixon and a worried group. It wasn’t exactly what he’d been hoping for, especially since Lori’s volatile nature was starting to get to him, especially with how she’d change her mind in an instant.

Running his hand over his now short hair he rubs at the back of his neck, freezing when he hears something shift in the shadows of the trees. As soon as he cocks his shotgun Rick is there beside him, hand on his knife and ready to move as a team if need be. When Daryl limps out with his arm raised in greeting Rick gives a sigh of relief whilst Shane simply spits the grass stalk aside and feels his anger bubble up again. Daryl at least has the common courtesy to apologise, knowing he’s in the wrong and ducking his head when Rick reprimands him.

It’s not enough and it even ends with Rick nodding and giving Daryl a smile before walking back to Lori as if everything was fixed. Seeing her smile, curl her arm around him and lead him to their tent makes him feel even more riled up and spoiling for a way to release that frustration. Turning to Daryl he grits his teeth, clenching his jaw and shaking his head to the man.

“Hell no. You don’t get off that easy.” It’s hard to keep his voice low enough not to be heard by the walkers or the group, especially when he’s as angry as he is. To his credit Daryl looks as if he expected it, nodding and stepping away with Shane to be closer to the tree line and away from the camp. Then he leans against a tree trunk like a petulant teenager and Shane wants to smack that look off of his face. “You know how worried everyone was when we realised you were gone?”

Daryl shakes his head, leaning his crossbow against his chest to pick at the string, not caring at all about what hassle he’d caused. “I was just taking a walk, getting some air.” He shrugs, and that shift of his shoulders makes Shane take a step nearer to make sure he’s heard.

“Not good enough.” He hisses, moving the shotgun to lay across his back with the strap so he doesn’t decide to just knock the other man out and drag him back to camp. “You know the rules, you have to tell someone if you’re going off. I don’t care if you’re going for a shit or a date with rosey palms, you fucking tell someone you’re leaving for a bit and give an estimate of time.”

Shane is worked up, temper simmering with every second that Daryl doesn’t apologise. “I know I just sort of forgot. Everyone keeps asking me how I’m feeling, I’m getting fucking sick of people wanting to know my business when they didn’t give a fuck a week ago. Ain’t the first time I’ve been hurt and it won’t be the last.” Unconsciously Daryl’s hand moves to his still bound side, and Shane wonders if he’s playing for sympathy, but it really isn’t going to work on him.

“But it’s the first time they’ve seen shit like this.” Shane nods towards the rest of the camp, hissing as his point just wasn’t coming across properly or Daryl just deliberately wasn’t listening to him. “Means they worry and no matter how much you don’t want to be, you’re a part of this group. And that means people are gonna worry if you don’t tell them you’re going away from camp first.”

It seem Daryl’s patience has run out and he’s moving forward to get in Shane’s face, pointing fingers and squaring his shoulders, making all the moves Shane knows to be alpha male posturing before a fight. “I’m a grown fucking man, I ain’t no twelve year old girl who’s mother can’t keep an eye on her for five damned minutes. You wanna watch anyone watch the boy, he ain’t never where his momma asks him to be. Damn kid’s practically got three parents and all of you are too busy playing kiss chase to watch his ass.”

The mention of Carl and his current difficult situation makes whatever had been holding him back snap, giving in to the anger he acts like he always had whether at work or not, to this kind of situation. Shoving Daryl back against the tree Shane raises his own hand, slamming it to the trunk beside the other man’s head to keep him pinned. “You listen to me you son of a bit-“

Shane stops mid tirade at Daryl’s reaction. He’s been a cop for long enough to have seen every reaction to a threat or an officer’s words, whether that was anger, fists, a fight, swearing or even an apology and plea for forgiveness. But this is the reaction he hates the most. Daryl Dixon, the man who had stumbled all the way back to camp with a necklace of walker ears after pulling an arrow from his own side, flinches. For a moment Shane is lost, watching as the man catches himself and lowers his head, not meeting Shane’s eyes as he speaks and trying to make himself smaller.

“All right!” Daryl shakes his head, crossing his arms around his crossbow and hunches his shoulders before continuing in a quieter voice. “All right I shouldn’t have said that. Ain’t none of my business.” Shane remembers the quarry, he remembers Merle and he remembers this exact tone of voice from Daryl when Merle had said he was going to Atlanta. He’d started off ready for a fight and then Merle had swung his arm around Daryl’s shoulders and though it had been a friendly gesture, Shane could see the moment Merle’s fingers had dug into the back of his younger brother’s neck. Daryl had given in and spoken in that voice, and Shane hates his temper for bringing it out again.

Stepping back he folds his arms, keeping them close and nowhere in Daryl’s personal space. He’s been to the classes, he knows how to handle this without making Daryl feel embarrassed or ashamed. “Damn right it ain’t.” He nods, clearing his throat and continuing in a lower, slower voice. “Listen, I know I got a temper on me, but this whole fucking situation is stressful and having someone missing is something that sends people into a panic nowadays.” He gives a small smile, trying to catch Daryl’s eye and put him at ease. “I know it feels like fucking elementary school having to say where you’re going, fuck me we might as well have hall passes, but it’s a necessity right now. Not only for your safety but for theirs too. You know they were going to go out looking for you?”

Daryl does look up at that, still holding his crossbow close with his shoulder’s hunched, but at least this time he does meet his eyes, even if his voice is still quiet. “What? They didn’t need to do that, I’m fine on my own, don’t need you all risking your asses.”

“But they want to risk their asses for you.” He explains, giving a small sigh at the situation he’d gotten himself into. He was still frustrated but shouting wasn’t going to accomplish anything right now, not if they were meant to be a group. “That’s the thing, we’re a group now and it’s that whole all for one and one for all thing now. Ain’t gonna survive unless we stick together.” Looking to Daryl for a response he’s pleased when Daryl gives a small shrug and a smirk.

“You would probably all starve without me here anyway.”

Shane agrees, giving a light laugh and moving to start leading Daryl back to camp. “It ain’t much. Just tell us you’re heading out and when you’ll be back.” Shane reiterates, knowing Daryl wasn’t stupid, but wanting to makes sure the point that had given him so much anger was driven home. “We’d prefer it if you didn’t go out by yourself, but I know I ain’t gonna convince you otherwise, so this’ll be our compromise.”

Daryl walks alongside him, giving a nod and Shane is pleased that when he speaks his voice is a little more like the Daryl he was used to. “I can do that.”

“All right,” The success makes him feel a lot better, knowing that not only has he made his point clear, but he’s gotten Daryl back to his normal self. Shane knows he’s an angry guy with a short fuse, but the stress of the walkers and Lori shouldn’t make him blow up over just anything. They were all trying to fit in to this new world and he knew he’d have to make some changes. They were a group and the group didn’t need a hothead blowing up over every little thing if he could help it. “Now since you had everyone worrying you can take first watch to make up for it.”

As he heads off to his tent Shane gives Daryl a friendly smack on the shoulder and though he sees the flinch from the corner of his eye, it doesn’t look so bad. He figures it’s a step in the right direction.


End file.
